West Ham Beat Brentford on Penalties to Reach FA Cup Quarter-Finals
West Ham United advanced to the FA Cup quarter-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Brentford at the London Stadium on . The match, which ended 2-2 after normal time and extra time, saw Dango Ouattara’s audacious Panenka attempt fail spectacularly, handing the Hammers a last-eight tie against fellow Premier League side Leeds United in early April.
The game was a pulsating affair from the outset, with both teams demonstrating attacking intent. Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring for West Ham, tapping home after a cross from Matheus Fernandes. However, Brentford responded swiftly, with Igor Thiago leveling the score, chesting the ball in after a header from Nathan Collins. Bowen then restored West Ham’s lead from the penalty spot after being brought down, though controversy soon followed as Brentford appealed for a penalty of their own after a challenge on Kevin Schade, a claim that was not upheld by either the referee or VAR.
Brentford boss Keith Andrews voiced his frustration after the match, stating, “Not really no [it was a penalty]. There was clear contact on his foot. I can’t see how it can’t be overturned by VAR when we’ve had one that was overturned and got re-refereed. From where Andy [Madley] was on the pitch, he looked at our one and didn’t give it? So yeah, strange.”
The second half saw further drama, with a penalty awarded to West Ham after Kayode was pushed at a corner. Thiago confidently converted, bringing Brentford level once more. Keane Lewis-Potter then had a golden opportunity to win the game for the Bees before full time, but his effort sailed wide.
Extra time failed to produce a winner, despite chances for both sides. Romelle Donovan and Callum Wilson went close for West Ham, while Crysencio Summerville, already on a yellow card, narrowly avoided a second booking for a clear trip. A late long-range effort from Axel Disasi almost snatched victory for the Hammers, but his shot flew just over the bar, sending the tie to penalties.
The shootout proved to be a nerve-wracking affair. West Ham emphatically converted all their spot-kicks, with Konstantinos Mavropanos scoring the decisive penalty. However, the spotlight fell on Ouattara, who attempted a Panenka, only to see his chipped effort comfortably collected by Alphonse Areola. The miss proved costly, sending West Ham through to the quarter-finals.
Andrews Defends Ouattara’s Penalty Decision
Despite the miss, Brentford head coach Keith Andrews was quick to defend Ouattara’s decision to attempt a Panenka. “I’m not annoyed at all,” Andrews said. “The easiest thing for a footballer to do is to not take a penalty. It takes unbelievable courage on a stage like that to take a penalty. I despise the culture around players that have missed penalty kicks. We’re talking about national heroes who have done it. They have been ridiculed, persecuted. I think it’s disgusting. It takes serious courage to do that [take a penalty]. He practices that technique a lot. If it goes in, everyone’s raving about him. So Dango will get the absolute support he needs from us and everybody attached to him.”
Bowen Targets Silverware for West Ham
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen expressed his desire to secure silverware this season. “We haven’t been good enough this season, but we’re coming into the real business end of it now,” Bowen told TNT Sports. “There’s a big game coming up on Saturday, we’re into the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and things are on the up for us. But we have to keep doing it, keep demanding it, keep raising the level. I go back to the QPR game [in the third round] where I don’t want to say our season started, but that was the chance to turn it around and give us confidence and belief. We’ve done that in the Premier League and tonight was the same thing. We had to put in a good performance and we knew it’d be a tough game. Every FA Cup game we’ve had has gone to extra-time now. But we want to get to the final, we want silverware at this club. It’s a dream of mine to win it [the FA Cup] and we’ve got a long way to get there, but tonight is a big night for everyone involved.”
Nuno Espirito Santo Praises West Ham’s Performance
West Ham head coach Nuno Espirito Santo was pleased with his team’s performance. “Our fans deserve this moment of joy,” Nuno said to TNT Sports. “The way they support us through bad times, the way they keep supporting the team, thank you for that. The team did a good job. The players are delighted in the dressing room. Tired, but delighted. A tough one against an amazing team. We controlled them and contained them with a lot of chances, I’m happy that the game came to us in the end. Now we have to rest. Knowing Saturday we face a tough one [against Man City]. But in our stadium, our boys are playing in the London Stadium. The atmosphere is good. It’s a tough one, we want to compete. And our performance will require the best from all of us.”
FA Cup Quarter-Final Fixtures
- Southampton vs Arsenal
- Chelsea vs Port Vale
- Man City vs Liverpool
- West Ham vs Leeds